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Lightened-Up One-Pot Halloween Chili with Black Bean Spiders

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A festive, healthier chili featuring lean ground turkey, black bean spiders, and a rich, smoky tomato base. Perfect for Halloween parties, this one-pot meal is quick, easy, and packed with flavor.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced (about 1½ cups)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 pound lean ground turkey (93/7)
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
  • 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
  • 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed (reserve 12 whole beans for spiders)
  • 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 12 whole black beans (for spiders)
  • 24 slivered almonds (for spider legs)
  • Sour cream or Greek yogurt (for webs and dipping)

Instructions

  1. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and cook for 4-5 minutes until translucent and starting to brown.
  2. Add the garlic and ground turkey. Break the turkey apart and cook for 6-7 minutes until browned.
  3. Add the diced bell peppers, carrots, and jalapeño. Cook for 4-5 minutes until carrots soften.
  4. Add chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, cayenne, and cocoa powder. Stir constantly for 1 minute to bloom the spices.
  5. Pour in the fire-roasted tomatoes and tomato sauce. Stir well, scraping up browned bits from the bottom. Bring to a gentle simmer.
  6. Add chicken broth, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  7. Stir in kidney beans and all but 12 black beans. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes to thicken. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
  8. While chili simmers, make the black bean spiders: Press two slivered almonds into each reserved black bean to create eight legs. Use a toothpick to make holes if needed. Repeat for all 12 beans.
  9. To serve, ladle chili into bowls. Create a web pattern on top with sour cream or Greek yogurt. Place a black bean spider in the center of each web. Add optional toppings as desired.

Notes

For best flavor, let chili rest overnight. Make spiders just before serving to keep almonds crunchy. For a vegetarian version, skip turkey and double the beans. For extra smoky flavor, use chipotle peppers in adobo instead of jalapeño.

Nutrition

Keywords: Halloween chili, black bean spiders, one-pot chili, light chili, turkey chili, healthy chili, Halloween dinner

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